Prison cell construction



April 26, 1932. H. D. GAR BER ET AL 1,355,756

' PRISON CELL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY! INVENTORJ April 1932- H. D. GARBER ET AL 1,855,756

PRISON CELL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY,

Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT eFFic HARRY n. GARBER, or, CUYAHOGA FALLS, AND WALTER. w. MEIER, or cLEvnLAnn.

OHIO, ASSIGNORS T0 THELVAN DORN IRON WORKS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,5

A CORPORATION OF OHIO v PRISON CELL cons'rmrcrron Application filed December 18,1931. sexier-No.- 581,883.

This invention relates to prisoncell structure, and more particularly to interlocking means whereby a row of cells may be assembled. from a plurality of wall panels, each panel comprising a cell wall unit, the assembly being accomplished without the bolts, rivets, or the like, which have been usual in the art. Thus the wall panels themselves maybe formed in the shop, each as acomplete unit, and the assembly and erection of the cell row may be solely from these units.

The invention is particularly adapted for embodiment in the partition wall panels which divide the cells, and in the cell front wall panels.

The general object of the invention then is to provide for an interlocking panel arrangement. Another object is to provide that the order of assembly of one unit upon the other be in a predetermined sequence so that disassembly is impossible except by reversing the same sequence; and still another object is to provide that in the completed structure the parts which eflect the interlock are protected, and are concealed, so that the nature of the joint is unascertainable from a mere observation of the structure after assembly.

The exact nature of thisinvention together with further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description-taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a detailin perspective of a typical cell structure inwhich the invention is employed; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged perspective views of parts at one of the joints appearing'in Fig. 1, the relative positions of the parts in these three figures inclicating their relation in the completed assembly; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged details in vertical section through one of the joints, illustrating the manner of assembly; and Fig.

' 8 is a horizontal sectionat one of the joints.

I With reference now to the drawings, the pertinent parts of five wall panel units are illustrated. These-are two partition wall panels 1, 2, and three cell front wall panels 3, 4 and 5. It will be appreciated that both I partition wall'panels extend forwardly from a rear wall, and each cell front'wall panel includes a sliding door 6.. I v

Each partition wall panel may be a single sheet of metal as indicated, extending forwardly to the front extremity of the adj acent cell front wall panels. 1

Each cell front wall panel extends entirely between its'partition wallpanels, and is provided at each of its ends with a permanently secured pilaster end member 7. Each'pilaster has a hollow opening onto the adjacent partition wall, and in fact the pilasters may be simply rolled steel channel, irons with flanges turned outwardly as indicated. Each partition wall panel then extends between a pair of these pilasters the four flanges of which bear against the partition panel and the'hollows of which are opposite each other and extend vertically along the partition panel adjacent the edge of the latter. 1

Each partition panel has a number of perforations 8, arranged in pairs, the pairs being vertically spaced from each other, and all located to open into the hollows of the adjacent pilasters and hence to be concealed by the pilasters. I

With reference now, to Figs. 2-8 of the drawings, for each pair of openings 8 in each I partition panel, each of the adjacent pilasters 7 carries a bracket 9. Each bracket 9 has a flat base portion riveted or otherwise permanently secured within the hollow ofv its 'pilaster, a pair of arms 10 upstanding from the base portion, and a web 11 joining the arms. The arms are hooked as at 12 and extend beyond the extremities'of the pilaster flanges.

Each of the openings 8 in the partition panel 1 has an enlarged portion 13 which will receive one of the hooks-12, and a pair of notches 14 oppositely disposed and each adapted to receive a bracket arm 10'but not allow passage of the hook 12 of the latter therethrough. The relative location of the brackets 9 and openings 8 is such that when a partition panel 1 and its two adjacent cell front panels are upright and supported at the same level as upon the same floor, the arms of the brackets on the pilaster of one of the cell front panels will lie in the upper set of notches 14, while the arms of the brackets on the pilaster of the other cell front panel will occupy the Flowerset of notches :14.

Thus "assembly of these three-"panels may be had beginning with the parts as in Figs.

2-4, and manipulating the parts asindicated in Figs. 5-7. Supposing the pilaster '7 of the right-hand cell front panel'to be upright and resting on the floor, the partition wall panel 1 is lifted slightly, so that the enlarged parts 13 of its perforations 8 will slide over the hooked ends 12 of :the brackets 9 on the pilaster 7, as indicated Fig. 5; whereupon the partition panel 1 may be lowered to the floor -1evel,the arms 10 of the brackets entering the upper notches 14 in the partition panel; the latter thus being secured against the pilaster 7 by the hooks :12 of all of the brackets, as in Fig.6. l he hooks-are preferably cham-fered as at 12a to assist sea-"ting of the parts in this operation.

The other cell front panel is'then brought 50 up and lifted so that the hooks 12 of the brackets of its pi-las'ter 7 will enter the 'enlargedportions 13 o f the perforations of the partition panel, as indicated Fig. 6. Thereai ter' the cell front panel is manipulated to seat as in Fig. 7, causing the arms 10 of its brackets to enter the lower notches 14in the partitionpanel, thus securing-this second cell front panel with the partition panel and hence a-lso with the first cell front panel, as 40 indicated Fig. 7.

The next partition panel may be added to the second cell' frontpan'e'l, the third cell front paneladded to thesecond partition panel, =e"tc.,=all in the manner indicated.

It will be apparent that in the completed structure the openings 8 and the brackets secured therein are entirely concealed and protected by the pilas'tersfi. As indicated in Fig. 8, each pilaster overlies, protects, and .50 conceals within its hollow,the hooks 12 of the opposite pilaster.

The brackets are pre ferably of sheet metal i and are of simple form, and consequently may ibecheaply made. Yet their use most efiectivdly provides the desired rigidity to theassembled structure.

Obviously in the completed structure none I cluding permanently secured pilaster end member having a: hollow opening onto said partition panel, said partition 'pane'lhaving aperforationbetween said pilasters, and each pilaster having a bracket secured in its hollow and including .a hooked arm, extending through said perforation into the hollow of the opposite pilaster and ftherewithin eng aging the partition wall panel adjacent the perforation. 3. Prison cell structurecomprisingra part-ition wall panel, a 'pairof'cell mu panels ecxtending oppositely therefrom and ie'ach including a permanently secured pilaster end member having :a dlollow open ing \on'to .said partition panel, :said partition 'paznel having .a perforation :between said :pila-sters, and each pilaster having :a bracket secured in .its hollowrand including a'hooked arm extending through said perforation :into the hollow -'of :an opposite pilaster and :therewithin engaging the partition wall panel adjacent the perforation, said perforation having an enlargement to clear said arms during the .assembly ofsaid panels.

4. Prison cell structure comprisinga zpartition wall panel, a pair creel-1' wall panels extending oppositely therefrom and each including "a permanently secured pilaster :end member :having a hollow opening onto said partition panel, said partition panel having azperforation between said pila-sters, andeeach pilaster having a bracket'secured in itszhollow and including a hooked arm extending through said perforation into the hollow of an opposite pilaster and therewithin engaging .the partition'wall panel adjacent the perforation, said perforation includingraiportion of size to allow insertionof one ofsaid arms with its hook during the assembly of said panel, and "including another portion contiguous therewith and of size to clear an "arm-only upon completion of the-assembly.

5. Prison cell structure comprising'a'pantitionwall'panel, a pair-of-cell wall panels extending oppositely therefrom and each including a permanently secured pilaster end member having a hollow openingonto said partition panel, said partition panel having a perforation betweenisa'id pilasters, andeach pilaster having a bracket secured in its :hollow and including a hooked arm extending signatures.

HARRY D. GARBER. WALTER W. MEIER. 

